Service station



s. w. RAYMOND.

SERVICE STATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1917.

1,388,893. Patented Aug. 30, `192,1

C1 Houma@ UNITED' STATESA Param' OFFICE.

SAMUEL w. lInevivioND, or ADRIAN,A MICHIGAN.

SERVICE STATION.

T o all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL WV.' RAYMOND, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Service Stations', of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention -relates to a service station, and has special reference to a dispensing machine or apparatus adapted for supplying automobiles with gasolene or kerosene for an engine, with air for iniiating thev tires, with Oil for lubrication purposes and with water for the radiator. y

The primary object Of my invention is to provide a service station of the above type that will include simple and effective means for supplying fuel, in contradistinction to the usual hand operated pump now employed. This object is attained by using air under pressure, and in resorting to such means for lifting fuel to a height where it may flow by gravity to the tank ofvan automobile, I use the. means in armanner that conforms to the requirements of the Underwriters Association, thus insuring safety about /the service station Another'object of my invention is to provide a servicey station including a transparent reservoir in which fuel in predetermined quantities may be placed and observed.

A further objectof my invention is to provide a servicel station of novel design that embodies rcertain Vfeatures that will hereinafter appear as the invention is better understood, and reference will now be had to i the drawing, showing a vertical sectional view of the service station in' accordance with my invention. i

In the drawing, l denotes a base having a pedestal 2 and said pedestal is provided with a suitable door 3 whereby easy access can be had to the'interio'r of the pedestal.

On the top o-f the pedestal 2 is a transparentcasing 4 provided with a suitable cap 5 4having' an electric lamp 6 and suitable'leadin wires or cables 7 are adaptedto supply electricity so that the lamp 6 as well as other lamps in or about the station may be illuminated.

Buried in the ground adjacent the station and at the necessary depth for safety pur- Specication of Letters Patent.-

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

Application filed July 9, 1917. Serial No. 179,351.

poses, is a main fuel tank 8 having suitable made of glass or provided with a sight open-V ing, so that the quantity of fuel therein may be readily observed. yThe reservoir pipe 11 is provided with a shutoff valve 14 having an operating handle or lever V15 and a crank 16. This valve may be manually adjusted by opening a door 17 ofthe casing 4.

Extending' through the reservoir 13 is an overiiow and vent pipe 18 and the lower end of said pipe is connected to the filling pipe 9 of the -main tank 8. The upper end of the pipe 18 is Opened and within the reservoir 13 said pipe has an Opening 19, adjacent -the top of the reservoir, which limits the capacity of the reservoir 13, as fuel cannot rise in the reservoir above the opening 19 without flowing back through the pipe 18 into the main tank 8. Y The Opening 19 also permits of air entering the top of the reservoir and gases or fumes escaping therefrom. That portion of the pipe 18 within the reservoir 13 may be graduated or' the walls of the reservoir may be similarly marked or provided with indicia so that a desired quantity of fuelpmay be obtained.

The top of the main tank 8 has a siplionic connection 2O with the reservoir pipe 11 adjacent the auxiliary tank 10, so that a quantity of fuel will be maintained in the auxiliary tank independent of the. tank 8. That end of the siphonic connection 20 inthe tank 8, Vhas a check valve 35 of a conventional form preventing back fiow 4into said tank. 'Ihe auxiliary tank has the top thereof connected to an air pipe 21 extending upwardly through the pedestal 2in proximity to the reservoir 13.` The upper end of the air pipe 21 is provided with a two-way valve 22 having a crank 23 connected by a link 24 to the crank 16 of the valve 14, permitting of said valves being operated in synchronism. The valve 22 is connected to an air supply pipe Adjacent the main tank 8gis an auXilf li O adapted to supply air under pressure, to lthe valve and the auxiliary tank 10. The pipe 25 is provided with a shut off valve 26, a safety falve 27, a gage connectionv 28, and a reduction valve 2,9. The gage connection 28 extends in proximity to the valve 22 and has a conventional for-m of gage() so that the pressure of air may be ascertained. The reduction valve 29 may not be necessary, but is used when the air pressure is high, and needs reducing as a safety factor.

The valve 22 has connection 31 with a vent pipe 32, said pipe communicating with Vthe top the main tank 8 and extending to the top of the service station to communicate 'with the atmosphere. The reservoir pipe l1', above the valve 14, has a branch provided with a shut-off valve 33 and connected to said valve is a hose 34 or other conduit, so that fuel from the reservo-ir 13 may be conducted, by gravity, to the fuel 'tank of an automobile.

Extending into the pedestal 2 of the station are air, water and oil supply pipes, provided with suitable faucets in proximity to the door 3 of the pedestal, so that an automobilist may obtain water for the radiator of the engine,` oil for lubricant purposes, and air for inflating the tires.

To prime the siphonic connection 20, the main tank 8 can be filled until the auxiliary tank 10, the siphonic connection 20'and the lower ends of the pipes 11 and 21 are filled with fuel.

ln operation, I will assume that three gallons of gasolene are to be obtainedv from the station and that the hose 34C has been placed in communication with an automobile tank and the valve' closed. Vhen the attendant of the station shifts the lever 15 of the valve 111- to open said valve, placing the reservoir 13 in communication with the auxiliary tank 10, the valve 22 is also adjusted to close the branch connection 31 and place the air supply pipe 25 in communication with the air pipe 21. The pressure of air on the gasolene in the auxiliary tank 10 will force the gasolene upwardly through the reservoir pipe 11 into the reservoir 13, there being a greater quantity of gasolene in the auxiliary tank 10 than what can be held in the reservoir 13. As the gasolene rises within the reservoir 13 and reaches a graduation of three gallons, then the at- -tendant of the station closes the valve 14 and in so doing adjusts the valve 22 to shut the supply of air thereto and establish communication between the pipe 21 and the branch connection 31, so that the auxiliary tank 10- has a vent to the atmosphere through the pipe 21, valve 22, connection 31 and air vent pipe 32. The valve 33 can now be opened and three gallons of gasolene withdrawn from the reservoir.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that the main and auxiliary tanks have vents to the Vatmosphere and co-nsequently fumes or gases cannot collect therein and becomea 'dangerous factor. It is also apparent that there is no pressure on the gasolene in either tank when the station is not in use, and that air under pressure is only conducted to the small quantity'of gasolene in the auxiliary tank, when gasolene is to be dispensed, and not to the main tank, so large quantities of gasolene can be readily stored in the main tank. These safety features are requirements of the Underwriters Association and permit of the service station being used with perfect safety and with much satisfaction and convenience to automobilists, as all operating necessities are at hand and each automobilistwill know the exact quantity of the fuel before purchasing the same.

What I claim is y h In a fuel dispensing apparatus, a reservoir, a main fuel tank provided with an air vent pipe, an overflow pipe for said reservoir and having a side opening communicating with said reservoir, said overflow pipe having its upper end extending out of the reservoir and open to the atmosphere and its lower end communicating with said main fuel tank, an auxiliary fuel tank at a level below said main fuel tank and separate therefrom, a pipe extending from the bottom of said auxiliary fuel tank to the bottom ofsaid reservoir, a fuel valve carried by said pipe, a siphonic connection between said main fuel tank and said pipe so that the fuel may be siphoned from said main tank into said auxiliary fuel tank, 'an air supply pipe adapted t0 communicate with said auxiliary fuel tank, an air valve carried Vby said air supply pipe adapted to either admit air to said auxiliary fuel tank or place said tank in communication with the atmosphere, and a connection between said air valve and said fuel valve so that said valves may be operated in synchronism, said valves being arranged so that when air pressure is in said auxiliary fuel tank said reservoir communicates with said auxiliary fuel tank, and when said fuel valve is closed said air valve establishes communication between said auxiliary fuelv tank and the air vent pipe of said main fuel tank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL w; RAYMOND.

vVitnessesz Kann H. BUTLER, ANNA M. Donn. 

